Austin Statesman: Religion leaders see immigration as ‘God’s call’

October 30, 2011

"ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A Unitarian church in New Mexico sends supplies to the border for recent deportees. A coalition of church leaders gathers under a statue of colonial America religious figure Anne Hutchinson at the Massachusetts Statehouse to denounce immigration checks by police. A Methodist minister in Texas recites Isaiah 58:6, a passage about loosening the bonds of injustice, as she's thrown in jail after protesting alongside illegal immigrant students outside a U.S. senator's office.

As some states pass laws aimed at cracking down on illegal immigration and federal lawmakers balk at passing any immigration reforms, religious leaders from various denominations are jumping into the debate. They're holding rallies, walking in the Arizona desert, gathering testimonies from immigrants. The leaders fast, get arrested, and sometimes put their own health on the line in an attempt to draw attention to what they see as inhumane treatment of immigrants and to the laws that target them." Read more …

Common Sense Immigration means policies and programs that promote a healthy and robust Texas economy, support and strengthen families, encourage integration of newcomers, and provide for the well-being of all Texans over the long-term. It means avoiding policies and programs that waste limited local and state government resources, promote distrust and fear among communities, or take resources away from top public safety priorities. And, Common Sense Immigration means grounding public safety discussions in reliable information and best practices, and avoiding fear-mongering or scapegoating.
➣

Contact TRUST Coalition

If you have questions, would like to tell your story, or want to get involved with the TRUST Coalition, click the button to take contact us and take action.